JUI-F withdraws from constitutional amendment: sources

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has withdrawn from today’s constitutional amendment process, calling for more time to review the proposed legislation, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Sources close to the development revealed that the JUI-F has expressed concerns about rushing through the amendments without enough consultation and suggested the government not to take any hasty decision.

During a meeting, the final draft of the amendment was presented to JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who suggested that more time is needed to discuss the implications of the changes.

JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghori stated that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has also conveyed to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the need for a one-day delay to allow for thorough consultation.

Ghori added that JUI-F will decide its stance after receiving a response from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership tomorrow, noting that there is no harm in taking an extra day for proper consultation.

READ: PPP, JUI-F shuffles parliamentary leaders ahead of constitutional amendments

The party aims to ensure that the parliamentary party is taken into confidence before moving forward with the amendment.

“We should not be hasty. If the PTI delegation consults its parliamentary party tomorrow, the amendment can be presented the day after,” Ghori concluded.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have agreed on judicial reforms through the constitutional amendments but the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party is still not in favour of some other points in the draft.

According to sources, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be meeting Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday night to convince him.

ARY News revealed the key amendments demanded by the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party. According to sources Maulana Fazlur Rehman proposed an amendment to Article 38 to make the state free of interest by 2028.

An amendment in the Article 38 was not part of the draft approved by the parliamentary special committee. “The JUI-F wants all types of interest-free Islamic financial systems,” the sources said.

The Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party also demanded an additional clause to Article 70-1 of the Constitution which was not included in the draft approved by the parliamentary special committee.